Salamba sarvangāsana, or shoulder stand, can be a thing of beauty – it combines strength, flexibility and balance in one scrumptious, iconic pose. Children do them. How hard can they be? Answer – very hard. Actually, incredibly hard! As a novice yogi I remember the indignity of trying to launch my feet over my head and failing miserably – time and time again… Eventually my efforts resulted in balancing precariously on my upper back with my chin embedded in my chest and legs flapping in the breeze. I felt like a claustrophobic apostrophe – not exactly the elegant inversion I had hoped for.
Somewhat dismayed, I reflected on my failure and planned a new path. A path of baby steps towards more serene shoulder stands. It is a path I am still travelling but here are some of the early steps on my pathway. These simple poses will bring you closer to super shoulder stands. (more…)
